NATO-Russian relations not improving, states Lajčák

The climate of NATO-Russian relations is not good, there is no indication of improvement any time soon and there is a wide array of activities that are rather disturbing. This was stated by Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák at a working meeting of foreign ministers from Central and Eastern Europe in Bucharest, Romania on Tuesday. Lajcak reacted in this manner to a statement made by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, according to whom Russia is not working towards defusing the tension in its relations with NATO. "As for activities by the Russian side, first and foremost, there are unannounced military exercises. Therefore, close to the alliance's border [with Russia], there is quite a low level of communication and an extremely low level of trust", warned Lajčák. At meeting in Bucharest, Lajcak thus promoted the plan to employ a NATO Council-Russia platform for an open discussion about issues that are considered important. "Mostly for the maintenance of peace and the bolstering of mutual trust," concluded Lajcak.